NORTHAMPTON, Mass. --
At the San Diego Aerospace Museum yesterday, middle-school
teams from California and Ohio shared top honors at the
national finals of TOYchallenge 2004, a toy- and game-design
competition created by Smith College, Sally Ride Science™ and
Hasbro, Inc., to motivate and encourage middle school-aged
kids, especially girls, to pursue science and engineering
as study or career fields.

First place went
to the Wave Riders of Irvine, Calif., for their kid-friendly
surf board called “Boogie 2 Boogie” and
to Knowledge Seekers of Chillicothe, Ohio, for their board
game “I Could be a…,” which comes in medicine,
science and law versions. Second place went to
Tinker Thinkers of Orinda, Calif., for “Otto’s
Organizer,” a stuffed animal that doubles as a child’s
school caddy.

“This year’s entries were very impressive, the
level of innovation and intricacy exhibited in the kids’ designs
was just incredible,” said Sally Ride, founder of Sally
Ride Science. “The continued success of TOYchallenge
reinforces the strong need for providing our country’s
children, especially girls, with creative, hands-on science
education programs in order to ensure a solid science workforce
for the future.”

The top three TOYchallenge
designs were selected from entries submitted by teams of
children in Grades 5 through 8 from throughout the country,
half of whose members were required to be girls. Twenty-six
teams from New England submitted entries that were featured
in a regional showcase at Smith College in April.

With the
guidance of an adult coach, the teams chose a theme from
seven toy categories, including “Games for the
Family,” “Get out and Play” and “Remarkable
Robots.” A panel of judges made up of Smith College
engineering professors, Hasbro toymakers and Sigma Xi board
members evaluated the entries on originality, creativity,
engineering elegance, feasibility, communication and team
participation.

“At
Hasbro, our heart and soul goes into making all of our products,
but a key element of a truly fun toy or game is the intricate
design and engineering behind it,” noted Karen David,
vice president of community relations for Hasbro, Inc. “We
are very excited that TOYchallenge is not only helping kids
understand the mechanics of product development, but is also
allowing them to have fun playing with their own creations.”

“Joining
creativity with engineering concepts is a winning combination,” said
Domenico Grasso, director of Smith College’s Picker
Engineering Program. “It’s never too early for
kids, especially girls, to get that message.”

“Sigma
Xi members and chapters have a longstanding tradition of
nurturing future generations of scientists and engineers," said
executive director Patrick D. Sculley. “We were pleased
to join Sigma Xi member Sally Ride and the other sponsors
in supporting this creative, dynamic competition. All of
the participants, as well as the award-winners, are to be
congratulated.”

Design Category
Prizes were also awarded to six teams, including two teams
from New England: The Ions of Pembroke, Mass.,
coached by Sue Turley, and the Hanaford Hawks of East Greenwich,
R.I., coached by Amanda Pretto.

TOYchallenge 2005
will officially launch on September 12, 2004, at the third
annual Sally Ride Science Festival at the University of Michigan,
Ann Arbor. The registration deadline is December 15. If teams
pre-register by September 12, they can receive a free TOYchallenge
2004 T-shirt for each team member, while supplies last. For
more information, please visit www.TOYchallenge.com or
call (800) 561-5161.

TOYchallengeTOYchallenge™ was developed by Sally Ride, founder
of Sally Ride Science™, Domenico Grasso, director of
Smith College’s Picker Engineering Program, and Hasbro,
Inc., as an outreach activity to engage middle school-aged
students, especially girls, in science and engineering and
to inspire them to pursue careers in those fields. According
to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, women comprise only 9
percent of the engineering workforce. However, studies show
that in elementary school equal numbers of girls and boys
are interested in -- and good at -- math, science and technology.
Unfortunately, beginning around the 6th grade, more girls
than boys drift away from these subjects. While open to all
U.S. students in Grades 5 through 8, TOYchallenge focuses
on catching girls’ attention in these subjects in order
to keep them in the engineering “pipeline.” Hasbro
and Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society, are sponsors
of TOYchallenge 2004.

Sally Ride ScienceSally
Ride Science™ was founded by astronaut Sally
Ride to support the large numbers of girls and young women
who are, or might become, interested in science, math and
technology. The companyorganizes
quality events, programs and activities for girls that empower
them, engage them and encourage their interests. In addition
to TOYchallenge™, current programs include
Sally Ride Science Festivals, Sally Ride Science Camps and
the Sally Ride Science Club™, a national club created
to keep middle school-aged girls engaged in science adventures
by connecting them to people, information and attitudes that
nurture their relationship with science. For more information
on Sally Ride Science programs, visit www.SallyRideScience.com,
or call (800) 561-5161.

Hasbro, Inc.,
(NYSE:HAS) is a worldwide leader in children’s and family leisure
time entertainment products and services, including the design,
manufacture and marketing of games and toys ranging from traditional
to high-tech. Both internationally and in the U.S., its PLAYSKOOL,
TONKA, MILTON BRADLEY, PARKER BROTHERS, TIGER and WIZARDS
OF THE COAST brands and products provide the highest quality
and most recognizable play experiences in the world.

Smith College is
consistently ranked among the nation’s foremost liberal arts colleges. Enrolling
2,800 students from every state and 60 other countries, Smith
is the largest undergraduate women’s college in the
country. Smith’s Picker Engineering Program, the first
such program at a U.S. women’s college, is focused
on developing broadly educated engineers capable of
assuming leadership roles in corporations, non-profit organizations
and technology-related fields. The college’s first
engineering majors graduated in May.

Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society, (www.sigmaxi.org)
is the international honor society of science and engineering.
The Society is a diverse organization with more than 70,000
members in more than 500 chapters in North America and overseas.
Sigma Xi publishes American Scientist magazine (www.americanscientist.org),
sponsors a grant program for young researchers and organizes
programs and services in the areas of research ethics, science
and engineering education, the public understanding of science
and technology, and international research cooperation. The
Society’s administrative offices are located in Research
Triangle Park, N.C.

The San Diego Aerospace Museum celebrates
the history of aviation and space flight, educates the
public in aerospace technology and inspires young people
of all ages to excel in math and the sciences. A non-profit
organization and the first aerospace-themed museum to receive
accreditation by the American Association of Museums in 1986,
San Diego Aerospace Museum is located in San Diego, Calif.
For additional information, call (619) 234-8291 or visit
www.aerospacemuseum.org.